The next morning felt ordinary.
Too ordinary.
Lucas parked his bike near the school gate, locked it, and walked inside like usual.
No rush.
No attention-seeking.
Just calm.
Inside the classroom, students were still talking loudly when their homeroom teacher walked in.
Mr. Tanaka.
Late forties. Thin glasses. Always strict about silence.
He placed a stack of papers on the table.
"Everyone, take your seats."
The noise slowly faded.
"There will be a short test today."
Instant groans filled the room.
"A surprise test," he added.
Even louder reactions.
"This will check whether you actually studied during the summer."
Lucas remained still.
No reaction.
No panic.
The Test
The papers were passed around.
Mathematics.
Not extremely hard.
But not easy either.
Most questions were application-based.
The kind that punished memorization.
As soon as Lucas read the first problem, he understood something.
This is simple.
Not because the question was simple.
Because his thinking was clean.
Step by step.
No hesitation.
No mental noise.
He didn't rush.
He didn't stop either.
Each answer flowed naturally.
Even when a tricky question appeared near the end, he didn't feel pressure.
He broke it down.
Calculated.
Checked once.
Moved on.
Two rows ahead, Asha paused for a moment.
She glanced sideways.
Lucas was still writing.
Steady.
Unbothered.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just… confident.
Behind him, some students were already scratching their heads.
One boy whispered,
"Why is this so hard…?"
The End
"Time's up."
Groans again.
Papers were collected.
Lucas closed his pen.
Nothing special.
He had done what he could.
It was rare.
But Mr. Tanaka corrected the papers during the free period.
When he entered the class again, the room immediately quieted.
He held the answer sheets in his hand.
"There were many poor scores."
A wave of fear moved through the room.
"But… there was also one outstanding paper."
Some students lifted their heads.
Mr. Tanaka adjusted his glasses.
"Lucas Cole."
The room froze.
For a split second, no one reacted.
Then
Soft murmurs.
"What…?"
"Lucas?"
"Him?"
Lucas slowly looked up.
"Yes, sir?"
Mr. Tanaka nodded once.
"Full marks."
The words landed gently.
But heavily.
The Classroom Reaction
Asha's eyes widened.
She turned fully toward him.
Full marks?
In a surprise test?
Several students looked back at Lucas.
Trying to match the name with the person they remembered.
The quiet, average student.
The poor kid.
The one nobody cared about.
Now
Top score.
The Teacher's Words
"This test was designed to check reasoning, not memory."
Mr. Tanaka's gaze rested on Lucas for a moment.
"Your solution methods were clean and efficient."
No praise beyond that.
But from him
That was already a lot.
Her Side
She heard it.
Every word.
Her chest tightened.
He… really changed.
Not just physically.
Not just socially.
Academically.
He had stepped into a place she once believed he could never reach.
And the worst part
He didn't even look happy about it.
Just calm.
As if this was natural.
Asha
After class, Asha walked beside him quietly.
"That was… amazing."
Lucas shrugged slightly.
"I studied."
She smiled.
"But you didn't used to understand things this fast."
He stopped for a moment.
Then said honestly,
"I learned how to focus."
That answer stayed with her.
From the back of the hallway
She watched them walk together.
Her fingers tightened around her notebook.
So even his mind… is different now.
Rumours had already started.
Bike.
Sports class.
Now top score.
And she knew.
It wasn't temporary.
She had lost something she once thought would always be waiting.
Lucas didn't look back.
He didn't need to.
He was already moving forward.
When the class slowly emptied, Lucas stayed seated for a few seconds.
The classroom felt strangely quiet.
And without warning
His mind went back.
It was the last day before summer vacation.
The same classroom.
The same rows of desks.
He had stood there.
Hands shaking.
Heart pounding so hard he thought everyone could hear it.
He had called her name.
In front of everyone.
She had turned around slowly.
Looked at him.
Then laughed.
Not softly.
Not awkwardly.
Clearly.
"Are you serious?"
Her eyes had gone over his worn shoes.
His faded bag.
The cheap uniform.
Then she said it.
So everyone could hear.
"A poor guy like you thinks he can date me?"
The classroom had gone silent.
And then
Whispers.
Suppressed laughter.
Someone behind him had muttered,
"Does he even have money to go out?"
She didn't stop there.
"Don't misunderstand," she added coldly.
"I don't even look at you in class. Why would I like you?"
Lucas had bowed his head that day.
Not because he accepted it.
Because he didn't want anyone to see his face.
Back in the present
He opened his eyes.
The desks were empty now.
Only sunlight remained.
When she tried to talk to him these days…
When she watched him from across the room…
When she hesitated, unsure how to approach him…
Lucas didn't feel hatred.
He felt distance.
A clean, quiet line he would not cross again.
Not because she rejected him.
But because she humiliated him.
And worse
She treated him as if he had no worth.
That was why his voice stayed neutral.
That was why he never looked at her for long.
That was why he didn't soften.
Some words…
Once spoken…
Could not be taken back.
And Lucas Cole had already decided
He would never beg for respect again.